Two similar drones were spotted hovering over the Ratnuchak-Kaluchak military area in the region less than 24 hours after two drones attacked an Indian Air Force (IAF) station in Jammu, prompting soldiers to open fire at them, officials said on Monday.
According to experts, a new security threat has emerged from across the Pakistani border, with drones being used for the first time to attack military installations. Drones were used for two “low-intensity” explosions at the IAF station in Jammu early Sunday, injuring two personnel and prompting multiple investigations.
Two more drones were spotted over the military stations on Sunday night. The first drone was discovered around 11.45 p.m., and the second was discovered around 2.40 a.m.
Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said soldiers opened fire at the two drones but they flew away. “On midnight of 27-28 June, two separate drone activities were spotted over Ratnuchak-Kaluchak military areas by alert troops. Immediately, high alert was sounded and quick reaction teams engaged them with firing. Both the drones flew away,” Anand said.
“Searches were launched… and we are also ascertaining whether they were being operated from a vehicle on the adjoining road,” he said, adding a “major threat was thwarted” because the troops were alert.
The first blast occurred at 1.37 a.m. at the Jammu airport, which is used for VVIP movement and armed forces strategic operations, causing minor damage to a building’s roof, and the second – said to be weaker in intensity – occurred at 1.42 a.m. in an open area.
People familiar with the situation said on Monday that the air force has beefed up air defence at its forward airbases in the western sector to prevent new drone attacks. While the IAF is now certain that drones were used in the Jammu attack, it is still unclear where they came from or which side they flew to after dropping the two IEDs, an official said on condition of anonymity.
Several incidents have occurred in which Pakistan-based terrorists have used drones to drop arms, ammunition, drugs, and money into Jammu and Kashmir’s border areas in order to fuel terrorism in the region. Terrorists have not previously used drones to carry out attacks, according to experts.
Three armed Pakistani terrorists attacked the Kaluchak military station in 2002. Before storming the station and killing 23 people, the three attacked a Himachal Road Transport Corporation bus on the Jammu-Pathankot highway and killed seven passengers.
In order to fuel terrorism in the region, Pakistan-based terrorists have used drones to drop arms, ammunition, drugs, and money into Jammu and Kashmir’s border areas on several occasions. Experts claim that terrorists have never used drones to carry out attacks before.
In 2002, three armed Pakistani terrorists attacked the military station at Kaluchak. The three attacked a Himachal Road Transport Corporation bus on the Jammu-Pathankot highway and killed seven passengers before storming the station and killing 23 people.
